Washing-machine.



T. W. CRAVEN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14. 1913.

L1 61,621. Patented Nov. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. W. CRAVEN.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I4. 1913.

LAM Em. Patented Nov. '23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- dll'ozntl THOMAS W. CRAVEN, 01E FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIASpecification of Letters Patent.

wnsnme -nncnmn.

Application flled November M, 1913. erial No. 801,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, THOMAS W. CRAVEN, citizen of the United States,residin at Fairfield, in the county of Solano and tate of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved washing machine, and the principalobject of the invention is to provide a washing machine which can beused for washing dishes or for; washing clothes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means fordirecting the circulationof water through the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of coverwhich 1s provided with a deflecting plate WhICh Wlll assist in directingthe circulation of the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved propellerwhich is so constructed that it may be used for directing thecirculation of the water and also causing an air current to be driventhrough the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rack forholding the dishes in the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved supporting barsfor the dishes which are so constructed that their corrugated portionsmay be caused to he in either a horizontal or vertical plane.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinFigure 1 is a side elevation of the improved washing-means; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view through the improved washing machine; Fig. 3is a top-plan v1ew of one end portion of the dish-supporting rack with adish shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of thedish-supporting bars.

The tank 10 comprises a body portion which is substantially oblong inthe form shown and which is supported by the forward supporting legs 11and rear supporting legs 12. The tank has been shown oblong in thedrawing, but it is obvious that this'tank could be formed either squareor any other suitable shape according to the desires of, the personmanufacturing the washer. The upper-end ortion of the tank is providedwith a flare mouth 13 which flanges 17 which rest upon 27 has its bladesforms a seat for the cover 14. End lips 15 are provided so that catches16 may be pivotally connected with the tank for removably holding thecover 14 in place. This cover 14 is provided with side and end thesupporting mouth 13 and is also provided with a tongue 18 at the rearend which extends into the tank as shown in Fig. 2 to direct thecirculation of the water through the tank.

A vent 19 extends upwardly from the cover 17 and is provided with aflared mouth 20 so that steam may escape from the tank ,and fresh watermay be poured into the tank Without it being necessary to remove thecover. The rear-end portion of the tank which is opposite the curvedforward end wall 21 is formed into a housing 22 which extends beneaththe tank and has its lower end portion connected with the tank by meansof the drain guide 23 positioned in alinement with the outlet 24. Thisoutlet 24 is provided with a removable plug 25 so that when desired theplug can be removed and the water permitted to drain from the tank. Ifdesired, a suitable valve could be provided for the outlet in place ofthe screw plug, shown in Fig. 2. The legs 12 which support the rear endof the'tank'extend along the rear wall of the housing 22 and have theirupper ends connected with a bearing 26 in which a shaft 27 is rotatablymounted. The propeller 28 which is rigidly connected with the inner endof the shaft 29 provided with fiat inner side portions which extendclose to the rear Wall of the housing 22 and substantially paralleltherewith, and have their outer side portions curved to extend away fromthe rear wall of the housing. This construction is clearly shown in Fig.2. By having the propeller constructed as shown, the water is driventhrough the tank with a great deal of force and will thus rapidly cleanthe dishes in the tank.

Patented Nov. 23, iota.

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A stub shaft 30 extends from the legs 12 in alinement with the bearing26 and is provided with a reduced outer-end portion that the handle 33can be connected with the gear wheel 34. A set screw 36 is provided sothat the handle can be rigidly held in place to cause the gear wheelwith which it is connected to turn with the handle.

A frame is removably mounted in the bottom of the tank and comp-risesthe side bars 37, end bars 38, and sup orting feet 39. The feet 39 arespread a su 'cient distance 10 to cause the frame to fit nicely in thebottom of the tank without any longitudinal or transverse slidingmovement after being put in place. It will therefore be seen that thereis no danger of this frame moving out of the set position and causingthe dishes to fall out of place. The dishes are therefore protected fromany danger of being broken in the tank. Fingers 40 are carried by theside bars 37 in sets, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 so that dish-supportingbars may be removably and adjustably connectedwith the frame. Thesedish-supporting bars 41 are each formed from a strip of relatively heavyrod metal, such as heavy wire which is rustproof, the wire being crimpedto form the dish-engaging arms and pockets shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Theend portions of the wire are bent to form the eyes 42 and 43 which arerectangular and extend at right angles to each other. By having the eyespositioned at right angles to each other, one of the eyes will bepositioned between the fingers 40 at one side of the frame and the eyeat the op posite end of the dish-supporting bar will extend about thefingers at the opposite side of the frame and thus cause thedishsupporting bars to be securely held in the des1red position with thedish-engaging arms extending either horizontally or ver- 40 tically.

The operation of this device is as follows: After the dish-supportingframe has been put in place and the dish-supporting bars arranged in thedesired manner, the dishes are put in place with the edges of the platesextending between the arms of the bars so that they will be held on edgewith their faces turned toward the sides of the tank.

he cups are laid flat upon the bars, their open ends extending towardthe housing 22 and their bottoms engaging one of the bars whichextends'vertically as shown in Fig. 2. The hot water and a cleaningcomposition are then put in the tank until the tank has been filled witha sufiicient amount of hot water and the cover is then put in place andsecured by the catches 16. If it is desired to use very hot water whichwould be liable to scald the hands by the action of its steam when thecover is being put in place, the cover can be put in place first and thehot water poured into the tank through the vent 20.

After the tank has been filled with water,'

the handle is placed upon the gear wheel 34 and then turned so that thepropeller will be rotated and thus cause the water to be driven rapidlyalong the dish-supporting frame toward the forward end of the tank. Whenthe current of water reaches the curved wall of the tank, it movesupwardlyand returns to the rear end of the tank until it strikes thedeflecting plate 18. This will cause the current to be driven downwardlytoward the dishes and it will thus be seen that the water will have avery complete circulation through the dishes. It should be also notedthat the drain guide 23 will cause part of the water to move upwardlyalong the lower edges of the dishes and thus cleanse the por- 8e tionsof the dishes which extend beneath the supporting bars 41. After thehandle has been turned a sufficient length of time to cleanse thedishes, the hot water can be drained out through the outlet 24 and clearwater poured into the tank through the vent 19. The handle is thenturned to cause this clear water to circulate through the tank and thiswill thoroughly rinse the dishes. After the'dishes have been rinsed, therinsing water is drained off and the handle is then trans ferred to thegear wheel 31 and turned to cause the propeller to drive a current ofair through the tank so that the dishes will be dried.

It will thus be seen that a dish-washing machine has been provided inwhich the dishes can be placed and then washed, rinsed, and dried beforeit is necessary to remove the cover. The drying process drives all thesteam out through the vent 19 and therefore when the cover is removed tomove the dishes from the tank there is no danger of the 'hands beingscalded by steam in the tank. Itis, of course, obviousthatwhen dryingthe dishes, the outlet 24 will be left open so that all of the water candrain out of the tank and air can be sucked into the tank and driventhrough the tank by the propeller.

What is claimed is:

1. In a washing machine a frame, engaging means upon opposite sides ofsaid frame, and article supporting bars removably connected with saidengaging means, each of said bars being provided with article engagingmeans and having its end portion provided with eyes extending at rightangles to each other, the eye at one end of each of said bars beingpositioned between its engaging means and the eye at the opposite endbeing positioned about its engaging means.

2. In a washing machine, a supporting frame, engaging fingers formingpart of said frame, supporting bars carried by said frame and havingtheir end portions bent to form eyes for removably connecting said barswith said fingers, said eyes extending at substantially right angles toeach other whereby one of said eyes of each bar will extend about itsfingers and the eye at the 130 opposite end of the bar will extendbetween its fingers to releasably hold the bar in either a horizontal ora vertical position.

3. In a washing machine a supporting frame, fingers carried by saidsupporting frame, and supporting bars releasably engaging said fingers,each of said bars being formed from a strip of material bent to formarticle-engaging means and having its end portions bent to form eyesextending at substantially right angles to each other,

one of said eyes being positioned between its engaging fingers and theeye at the opposite end of the bar passing about its engaging fingers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. CRAVEN.

EVELYN Cox.

